Tag: Visakhapatnam

From Gateway In Andhra Pradesh To Fisherman’s Cove In Tamil Nadu, 11 February 2011

Rose early at Gateway. Packed grub arrived (chicken sandwiches). So did Jolly & Abhichek on time, as we were for a flight.

We got to the airport right time for check-in to start, in theory. In practice, check-in open half an hour late.

Much haggling over excess baggage with nice check-in man and horrible female enforcer who increases the amount from nine hundred and ninety six to one thousand and sixty rupees. We’ll get by.

After the flight from Visag to Chennai and a drive…

Arrive at Fishermans Cove thanks to driver Muhtu and less so Wing Commander “Chamindavass” (Senuwasen).

Check in and orient ourselves at Fishermans Cove.

Here is a rather weird promo video about the place – worth 18 minutes if you like or are intrigued by this sort of thing:

Following a light pasta lunch – carbonara Daisy & mushroom asparagus Ged – have a stroll around looking at facilities, cottages et cetera. Arrange to eat at seafood restaurant.

Clean up and skeeter up (navigating two power cuts) and then go to lobby to back up photographs etc. Decline invitation to cocktail party.

Ask for our table to be held for half an hour but we are bounced to a rear table – oh well. We start with prawns and Daisy moves onto prawns well I try parrot fish. Minuscule potato and veggies (remedied) but risk the ice cream yummy.

I flake but Daisy endures another power cut and invasion of the power police who blame the toothbrush! Not funny.

Onukudelli Market, Goodbye Jeypore, Orissa, Then On To Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, 10 February 2011

The main album of 65 photographs for Orissa can be seen through the link below:

001 8 Feb 2011 On The Road Towards Rayagada P1010584

Up & out at six – Jolly has taught the Hello Jeypore staff to make packed brunches for us (chicken sandwiches).

Lovely drive to Onukudelli market.

We find a suitable spot to see the Bonda women come down to market. Lots of photos. Not too many tourists.

Once Daisy gets bored with that, she starts to play with the local urchins. Skipping and racing with the children. Also chatted with one young bow and arrow man against the best advice, but no one seemed aggressive or rude towards us.

Sooner be playing with the other kids?

Then down into the market stopping at school to shed the last of our pens. Some confusion over the pens here, as the principal thought I was trying to sell them rather than donate them . Huge thank yous when the staff realised that the offer was a gift.

We see Gadaba and Didayi women down there and perhaps a little more rudeness, but still not much. Bitterly disappointed with the lack of rudeness – not – we head back to Jeypore.

Gadaba women
Didayi woman

We draw money and buy some flowers, glimpsing at the local movie house showing some Chinese movie. Then on to visit Rajesh and Shobha Toshniwal. She excitedly shows Daisy her arts and crafts wares – a mixture of commissioned work based on tribals and tribal antiquities.

Meanwhile we take Rajesh’s coffee (he is Karaput’s “King Coffee”) and Shobha’s commissioned some samosas for us (veg but not Join – she is Jain).

Daisy buys a choker, a belt, a hairclip and an artwork.

Late – we dash back to the Hello Jeypore to pack and say “goodbye Jeypore”.

Long drive to Visakhapatnam, with comedy cattle in Orissa and race for a pre-dark peepee stop.

Amazingly – roads improve one in Andhra Pradesh – we get to Gateway before eight, despite Jolly and Abhishek not knowing the exact location and Cheten the fixer not fixing!

We have a huge double room suite. The dining room lacks ambience but does have chicken satay, lamb biryani, black daal, spag bol and Suma wine.

A further 120+ pictures from Orissa (unlabelled) can be seen in an additional album, though the link below:

P2090046